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10/17/1948 - Deoria Khurd (village): Changes Since “Freedom” by Richard Morse

INSTITUTE OF CURRENT WORLD AFFAIRS Village Deoria Khurd RM District Azamgarh United Provinces Inla October Mr Walter S Rogers Iustitute Curreut World Affairs Fifth Avenue New York N Y Dear Mr Rogers Towards Freedom Jawaharlal Nehru etitled autobiography Many Amerlcas concept Idlan Independence never theless wodere meaning freedom ihabitats Idla remote villages I fortunate being write first newsletter rural where stirred successful struggle idepedece beginning opportuitles freeaom Icipate respousibilltles I short Judge social movements carefully But I eough varied activities iitlatlves being released their rellauc strengthened Some Gandhi priclples being Me moving oward freedom larger seuse I expect several weeks analyze conditions adequately Here I report overall introductory impressions The setting The around Deoria Khurd small village miles typical eastern districts United Provinces With greater rainfall western districts dependent lower nutrition value wheat In prewar years grain drawn during since ports fallen people Villages apart inhabitants Unlike larger landlords elsewhere province landlords their villages personally supervising cultlvatlou acres collecting rents paying government revenue perhaps acreage Family holdings large acres They everyday contact their tenants orers Usually however close contact Low caste laborers tenant families cultivate their landlords acres apart separate settlement ferior hoses They allowed little intercourse except Job their socially prominent landlords Kshatriyas Brahmins Muslims Ahlrs Save crafts indlspeusably woveu agricultural pattern hardly villages cottage industries Politically shared fever Congress movements It remembers especially August uprising patriots captured destroyed government buildings police station Police flually killed several subdued Page The village Deoria Khurd quite typical For thing uiversity graduate hundred surrouodig villages lives Mul Chaud completing A LLB derees I twenty months Baaras University His grandfather father schooling expan their horlzos outside service railways His elder bother working farmer Unlike graduates Mul Chand returned village service people He pendent courageous thought seeks truth aimsa member religious political orgaIzatlou Secondly three families Deorla Khurd icludig Mul Chard considerable other villages They wealthy consti substatlal resldet middle class Moreover alive I their activities toward entertaimeut Each after about padlts relatively leisured lords staged vivid icldet Ramay_aa Yesterday Lauka burned Hanuma Monkey King Today Rama Ravan Sita abductor triumphantly return AJodhya Bringing moral lessos fantasy pleasure hundreds people earby villages Ram Lila healthy cultural activity Ac costumes props flourish village giving pression artlsIc musical histrionic oraulziug talents quite remarkable countryside Thus I village probably better equipped idepeudeot Some areawide forces I about potentially isruptive Deorla Khurd I shows promise constructively chaellzig these strong forces democratic processes social Improvement Productivity health little visible advance minds receptive Towards_ i_ncre e_oroducti agricult ur_al_ indus trial local major steps beyond improved seeds supplied governmeot I these sturdy cotalued excellent farmers within their resources kowledge Noe Hve formal agriculture their scientific knowledge expressed their sound technical advice things manures diseases times daily I discouraged tones Ours count Mn But turned challenge Mul Chand Cur meals throughout every He uneducated farmers different words We learn Some these small lords favor major reform proposed government though abolish their superior rights They think reform consolidation their scattered holdings toward hiher efficiency Acceptance consolidation change among neighbors Mul Chand Five years consolidation found support village ltatio local people vances A young doctor offered vicinity practice liviu costs The landlord approache interested Enough support found finance cooperative basis Area awakening asertou among oppressed classes Towards e_couomic audS2cia_l c_ipat laborlug castes started fight their battles All laborers large uninterested doctors strike moths either glowing fields cutting crops brigiu grass animals A smaller elderly landlord Deorla Khurd complain bewilderment caste employees alned SwaraJ For recent rlevace gathered destroyed neerly three acres uripe crops Such strikes outbursts resentment reveal corage determin ation formerly subdued arlcultural classes As I talked tenants lsborers about their grievances Mul Chaud supports their demands speaks marked psychological chage among Not could handful roughnecks caste settlement womeoachIIdre Laborers beaten Now incldeuts uderdog He gather support fellows resist We aswers You drive though legall belongs Among other things aware landlord superior rights scheduled abolished At least uprisings years icited leaders Shoshit Eisau Sauh Uulo Exploited Peasants peasant party which local people believe Communist impetus This group moulds economic suffering active hatred against exploiters Its attempt provoke strike Mul Chad plowme failed apparently because Mul Chard decent T0w reliioUS aipatlon untouchables ceased attend ceremonies performed Brahmins Social economic degradation rather spiritual Impulse derlie chage Mul Chaud recently asked remained formerly attededWhy If Brahmins touch should worship through reply For about years these HarlJas looked themselves mahaut religious leader He ueducated Ifled Inviting attend their weekly prayer meeting With ancient independent succeeded reaching degree religious sufflciency I whether outside organizational impetus present their lives Deoria Khurd positive moves towards citizenship T_pw ocial mauci iItiatlve comig privi leged oressed A dlord amateur dramatists worked years Calcutta dropped observa there M Page broug attitude Deoria Khurd After Mul Cband first university water HariJan villaEe The villag elders remonstrated Now nothing To siguif rejection caste Mul Chand dropped kshatriya Singh discarded sacred thread twice A group village friends calling themselves New Youth gradually shedding prestige habits insulting manliness caste people Even their elders changed during Gandhi lifetime I sIEns their devotion Gandhi talking attack Hindus caste consciousness penetrated consciences people convinced young While separatist feeling heart progress field dramatist country progress hearts other A fixed those ready water untouchables The revolutionary young except three houses parental social barriers This Deoria Khurd ahead practices local Congressmen moral courage flaunt really living principles Mahatma Towards ation Deoria Khurd built school eight years A landlord contributed others brought stones tiles furniture From outside District Board grsuted money teachers salaries Three teach Istered students This assistant teacher erUment sponsored trainiuE Basic Education Spinning colors veEetable growing taught fifth grade components Basic Education One awake assured heart applies itself mastery tools splning Towar further enlightenm years villager pooled materials books build YounE Men Library As guest I esconced library Shelves contain I borrov about twent books AAJ Today Hindi uespaper Banaras however kernel library At entrance village shady grove Shiva temple bthing library natural community center A nearby wrestling resounds runts slaps youths Men finished their chores gather usually found reaing inter estiug AAJ On brought AAJ station absence But library needs newer books especially which needs agriculturalists At present relatively dormant needing impetus within intelligent without Were lined literate villagers capable ruunin adult literacy classes which would needs Towards defense internal oeace local squads Prantiya Pkshak Dal Provincial Defe formed since July Two alert young Deoria Khurd among selected tehsil organizer drill rifle training Page Jue Traloig completed RaJ Naraya Mohau Group Leaders returned local units Narayau group quota volunteers villages Moha villages smaller offered recruits I awakened Group Leaders whistles drill their squads barre field Young castes corps members Joit physical exercise lathi drill The tricolor atioual flies aloft carried mornius snappy aware idepedece cause pride The Rakshak Dal ourpose iuteuace iuterual peace Duriu Hyderabad campaign recent religious festivals traied Group Leaders stood regular police guard agaiust possible commuual outbreaks teusio areas RaJ Narayau Moha coscios their coutributio Iudiau progress The people these parts share feeliu Rakshak Dal Already somethlu local stabilizer reduciu dauger attacks characters appears discourai potential landlord tenant strife Iu villagers Rakshak Dal seems Improvement regular police which fully corrupt oppressive hauEhty treatment public With discipliued force their people police The impllcatlous growing volunteer force dJuct govern oraize vetera members Congress Party likely weighty Importance future It requi coutiued study Here I testify eucouraged rellauce helped ordinary people share idepeudece To local ovsrumst Deorla Khurd adJaceut villages recently auticipated government Pachayat RaJ Act formiog their village pachayats which mouth Last library I atteuded casual meeting called Mul Chaud first Sarpauch Three Ksbatrlyas landlords Tell Ahir cattle grazer teoat cultivator HariJaos laborer tenant pachayat proportiou their uumbers village I moths sioce formatiou these settled several isputes which would mouey Azamgarh court I cases cotedig parties gladly accepted pachayat compromise settlemewts Last pauchayat repared village campalgu viocial Cleauliess Week villagers Joi build better commo roads Their iItiative ability together iudlcates Deoria Ehurd handle greatly icreased duties expected villages leglslatioo mplemeoted govermeut T_gwards reoreseutative Istrict overumeut Cme election Azamarh District Board touched these villaEers August Though Cougress Party large majority votes other lessos tactics polltl action Strongest opposltioo Congress constituency RM Pae Shoshit Kisan Sanh May small landlords though disillusioned nepotism corruptlo Incompetence Congressmen government Congress candidate defeat sauts party Mul Chard friends tried candidate independently their popular ifluetial choice unable personal reasons Therefore Mul Chand group uattracted Congress refusing selves group which Mul Chard wrote letter published AAJ preache inter class hatred violence Come election Mul Chand frlewds found plans organization candidate Their platform structive proposals rural development which small large farmers welcome The Congress icumbet alrsady displayed ability Aided wider franchise drawing experience campaign Chaod friends force At least raise character local polltcal actlo least representative Board Free members world community Attitudes engraied babyhood Tman2 pressed classes especially white still sahib From I shown deference which contain respect submissiveness But reliant classes individuals deference years about Deoria Khurd I I walked without protection through interior polit ically feverish months I would likely attacked patriots would considered their equal While enabling their defend their rights feeliog equality freedom friend essential I hostility though picion aturally exists among Rather I among these reliant groups sense diEnity strength equality between citizens great nations NOW farmer friendship because Sincerely yours Richard Morse Received New York Ii